American Colonies- Prelude to the Revolution

Paige Ellis

Revolutions- Pirates• During the 16th and 17th centuries, the British During the 16th and 17th centuries, the British

tolerated pirates because they needed all the naval tolerated pirates because they needed all the naval help they could get against the more powerful help they could get against the more powerful Spanish. Spanish.

• As British commerce and naval might grew stronger, As British commerce and naval might grew stronger, the pirates started plundering their own country’s the pirates started plundering their own country’s vessels as well, causing the British officials to outlaw vessels as well, causing the British officials to outlaw piracy again.piracy again.

• The pirates developed a culture that expressed their The pirates developed a culture that expressed their alienation from authority, and they took pride in their alienation from authority, and they took pride in their excessive hedonism.excessive hedonism.

• in 1701, Parliament passed anti-piracy legislation and in 1701, Parliament passed anti-piracy legislation and began executing, and making examples out of began executing, and making examples out of convicted pirates.convicted pirates.

• By 1730 the campaign virtually wiped out the Pirates By 1730 the campaign virtually wiped out the Pirates threatening British trade, and they brought a new threatening British trade, and they brought a new security to colonial shipping.security to colonial shipping.

The Atlantic- Poverty• While lawyers, merchants, and officials in New

England grew wealthier, in the 1750’s and 60’s there was a growing number of poor in the urban seaports.

• The urban poor population grew because:– The imperial wars killed and incapacitated many men

in the military, leaving widows and orphans. – Emigration surged to the colonies, flooding the

seaports with poor newcomers, depressing wages, and unemployment.

– The colonies shared an economy with England, so urban colonists were basically at the mercy of British creditors, who could curtail credit and call for debts at any time.

• The poor also grew in rural and frontier areas, due to the harsh conditions and lack of of funds needed to acquire livestock and tools.

The Atlantic- Africans• Most eighteenth-century emigrants to America were enslaved Africans. • The slave trade crippled West Africa by diminishing its inhabitants, while

enriching the European Empires, particularly the British Empire.• The West Indies provided the greatest demand for slaves, because the sugar

plantations there were profitable but deadly. • European shippers almost always obtained slaves through African slave

traders, not by capturing the laves themselves. • Most slaves were captives taken in wars or kidnapped by armed gangs. • The voyage over the Atlantic killed about 20 percent of slaves, due to horrible

conditions and lack of will to live. • Some slaves attempted to revolt on the ship, but most of the times the slavers regained control.

Awakenings- Revivals• During the early 18th century, there were many

evangelical revivals that caused surges in religious fervor and new members.

• Revivals emphasized the emotional process of conversion, especially fear and hope, rather than reason.

• They insisted that God bestowed grace only upon those who admitted their helplessness to save themselves.

• They remained localized and episodic until the 1740’s, when evangelical ministers began to interact and cooperate over long distances, leading to intercolonial revivalism.

Awakenings- Race• Prior to 1740, no ministers challenged the slave system and few bothered to

convert slaves.• Revivalists rendered Christianity more accessible to the illiterate slaves by

appealing to the emotions, and longed to convert even people of lowly status in the world.

• The Anglican church feared that spirituality would make the slaves believe they were equal to their owners, and imposed penalties on preachers who baptized slaves without owner consent.

• Evangelicals focused more on preparing slaves for the afterlife than freeing them from slavery in this life, and only the Quakers challenged Indian war and African slavery.

• Evangelicals had their greatest success among Indians because they brought Christianity closer to traditional shamanism and permitted Indians to make Christianity their own.

The Great Plains- Texas

• The French traded guns for slaves with the Pawnee and Wichita, so the tribes began to raid the Apache and Pueblo for captives.

• The Hispanics were allied with the Pueblo, so they viewed this as a French act of hostility toward the Spanish and attacked the Pawnee.

• When they were defeated, the Spanish tried expanding their missions eastward instead of waging war, and founded San Antonio in 1718.

• The surrounding Indians sought safety and food by learning agriculture at the missions, but weren’t very interested in Christianity.

The Great Plains- Comanche and Apache• The horse and gun trade favored some native

peoples at the expense of others, making the 18th century of a period of violent flux.

• The Comanche were the most prosperous under this system, and they forced their way into larger hunting grounds.

• This created a deadly competition with the Apache, which the Comanche regularly raided for horses and captives.

• Many Apache migrated to Northwest New Mexico to escape, and adapted to the Pueblo Indians’ way of life.

• Other Apache moved southward and sought Hispanic protection at the missions.

The Pacific- IslandsThe Pacific- Islands• The Pacific Ocean was hard to reach from Europe The Pacific Ocean was hard to reach from Europe

and difficult to navigate, so it was largely neglected and difficult to navigate, so it was largely neglected until the mid-eighteenth century. until the mid-eighteenth century.

• After the straight of Magellan was discovered, the After the straight of Magellan was discovered, the Spanish established a few small settlements in the Spanish established a few small settlements in the Pacific, but tried to keep their discoveries secret.Pacific, but tried to keep their discoveries secret.

• During the 1760’s the British and French began During the 1760’s the British and French began probing the Pacific in the name of science. probing the Pacific in the name of science.

• Captain James Cook explored the coasts of Captain James Cook explored the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, and facilitated British Australia and New Zealand, and facilitated British colonization of Australia. colonization of Australia.

• He also discovered the Hawaiian islands, where he He also discovered the Hawaiian islands, where he was killed in a conflict with the natives.was killed in a conflict with the natives.